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Springfield Model 1863 rifled musket and Enfield Pattern 1861 musketoon
Springfield and Enfield lockplates

The Springfield Model 1863 was a .58 caliber rifled musket manufactured by the Springfield Armory and independent contractors between 1863 and 1865.[1]

The Model 1863 was only a minor improvement over the Springfield Model 1861. As such, it is sometimes classified as just a variant of the Model 1861. The Model 1861, with all of its variants, was the most commonly used longarm in the American Civil War, with over 1,000,000 manufactured.[2]

The Model 1863 also has the distinction of being the last muzzle-loading longarm produced by the Springfield Armory. It fired via percussion lock, which was much more reliable and weather resistant compared to the older flintlock muskets.[1]

The Model 1863 was produced in two variants. The Type I eliminated the band springs and replaced the flat barrel bands with oval clamping bands. It also featured a new ramrod, a case-hardened lock, a new hammer, and a redesigned bolster (percussion chamber). Several of these modifications were based upon Colt’s contract Model 1861, known as the “Colt special”. 273,265 Type I variants were manufactured in 1863.[1]

The Type II is sometimes referred to as the Model 1864, but is more commonly referred to as just a variant of the Model 1863. This version re-introduced band springs, replaced the clamping bands with solid oval bands, and replaced the three leaf rear sights with single leaf sight. A total of 255,040 of these were manufactured from 1864 to 1865.[3]

By the end of the Civil War, muzzle-loading rifles and muskets were considered obsolete. In the years following the Civil War, many Model 1863 rifled muskets were converted into breech-loading rifles. The breech-loading weapons increased the rate of fire from three to four rounds per minute to eight to ten rounds per minute. The Model 1863 could be converted to breech-loading for about $5, at a time when a new rifle would cost about $15.[4]

The conversion of Model 1863 rifled muskets therefore represented a significant cost savings to the U.S. military. The military adopted various models like the Springfield Model 1865, Springfield Model 1866, Springfield Model 1868, and Springfield model 1870.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Coates, Earl J. (1990). An Introduction to Civil War Small Arms. Thomas Pubns. ISBN 0939631253.
  2. ^ Knapp, George (2001). “Rifled Musket, Springfield, Model 1861”. In Jerold E. Brown (ed.). Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-313-29322-1.
  3. ^ Hogg, Ian V. (1987). Weapons of the American Civil War. Bison Books. ISBN 0861243803.
  4. ^ Lord, Dr Francis A. (2017-08-03). “The ’61 Springfield Rifle Musket”. HistoryNet. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  5. ^ “The .58 and .50 Caliber Rifles and Carbines of The Springfield Armory, 1865-1872”, Richard A. Hosmer, North Cape Publications 2006